Television personality Huell Howser, who made Taft a frequent destination and featured the community and its history several times on public television, has died.

He was 67.

No cause of death was given,

Howser died Sunday night, the Los Angeles Times reported on its website.

Howser visited Taft often for his California Gold series that aired on KCET and nationally over the PBS Network.

His last visit was in 2010 for the 100th anniversary Oildorado Celebration and the dedication of the Oilworker Monument.

When he came to Taft, Howser always sought the counsel and company of local historian and Midway Driller columnist Pete Gianopulos.

Howell had retired from television recently and Gianopulos sent his friend a note.

Gianopulos was concerned.

"It sounded to me like he wasn't well," Gianopulos said after hearing of Howell's death.

Howser became a fixture in Southern California and all over the nation through his shows "California Gold," Visiting" and "Road Trip".

His trips to the Westside brought him to numerous locations, including the West Kern Oil Museu,m, old graveyards in the hills as far away as the Temblors to the west of McKittrick, the Midway Sunset Oilfields, and Jerry Gibby's recreations of historic Taft.

He made regular trips to Taft every five years for Oildorado.

Check Taftmidwaydriller.com for more information as it becomes available.